My Event Ratings

Overall score		60%
Would you do it again?		Maybe
Details:
Scenery		80%
PB potential		80%
Atmosphere		40%
Organisation		40%
Value		60%
Beginner-friendliness		80%

In short: Flat traffic-free run.
In full: A good flat well marked out route.
For the number of entrants far more toilets need to be provided.
Date of review: September 23, 2011

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Overall score		80%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		60%
PB potential		60%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		80%
Value		40%
Beginner-friendliness		80%

In short: Back Again - Over 10 mins up on last year!
In full: Well organized as usual. More 'pissoirs' this year meaning not necessary for hoards to wee in the memorial park!
Kept it at 8 min mile pace - just pipping the 1:45 pace-maker! - 10 minute improvement on last year.
Date of review: September 23, 2011

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Overall score		80%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		60%
PB potential		60%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		100%
Value		40%
Beginner-friendliness		60%

In short: Well-organised
In full: got carried away at the start of this my local race which I have done many times before, forgetting that I have not done any distance training since April! Remembered when I got to 3 miles and jogged round uncomfortably for the next 10 miles before enjoying the 100m sprint to the finish line. Thanks to the Help Desk for helping me to locate my family at the end.
Date of review: September 12, 2010

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Overall score		80%
Would you do it again?		Maybe
Details:
Scenery		80%
PB potential		80%
Atmosphere		60%
Organisation		80%
Value		60%
Beginner-friendliness		100%

In short: Good Regional Marathon
In full: Made a weekend of it, visiting Cov. Cathedral on Saturday and the family were able to enjoy Stratford on Sunday while I ran the marathon. Certainly could have done with more water in the cups in mid-race (or pref. bottles which were only available at the first water station - would have paid more to enable this). I think this possibly contributed to me suffering more than usual after 20 miles. but thanks to all the marshalls and organizers. As someone who tries a different marathon each year it is good to cherish those regional marathons available.
Date of review: April 28, 2010

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Overall score		60%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		40%
PB potential		80%
Atmosphere		60%
Organisation		60%
Value		40%
Beginner-friendliness		100%

In short: Okay but a wee problem needs sorting for next year!
In full: I am a bit cynical (or maybe just sad) about private enterprise usurping the traditional fund-raising opprtunity for running clubs in organizing local races, but since the race was starting just 50 yards from my house, I entered and found the run to be efficiently run. As a local I agree with the comment below about urinating against the blocks of low-rise flats near the start. iT JUST AIN'T ON - but the organizers need to learn from it and provide some of the portable urinals along that stretch of road if the race is to be run again next year.
Date of review: March 17, 2010

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Overall score		80%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		60%
PB potential		60%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		80%
Value		40%
Beginner-friendliness		60%

In short: well organised
In full: my local race and one I have done many times. It has grown over the years but remains a well-organised race. Just dipped under 4 hours - so that was good
Date of review: September 29, 2009

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Overall score		60%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		60%
PB potential		80%
Atmosphere		60%
Organisation		40%
Value		60%
Beginner-friendliness		80%

In short: Alright!
In full: Did the half with a couple of friends one of whom was running a half for the first time. Enjoyed running at a nice steady pace for a change. Agree with comments about the mile markers - I guess just an oversight. But otherwise the support / drink stations / marshalling / st. john's / raynet all good. My boys both enjoyed the fun run so that was good too.
Date of review: September 9, 2009

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Overall score		80%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		60%
PB potential		60%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		80%
Value		80%
Beginner-friendliness		100%

In short: A joy to run but with a few reservations
In full: With goodwill in abundance this race restores faith in humankind.
But having previously run the LM in 1985, 1991 and 1999 I think it has lost something in become generally more efficient. Maybe its to do with the competitiveness amongst the charities and the deals done to secure charity places at the expense of the smaller charities. (Having got a ballot place I chose to run for a smaller local charity who can't get places.) Maybe its to do with the increase in the size of the field making it difficult to push on towards the end of your evenly-paced race as other runners around you slow and walk to the finish.
On a more practical note The 1985 cartons of water provided by Unigate were also less wasteful of plastic and did not present a hazard underfoot as the Vittel bottles do.
But I don't want to sound harsh. It was a joy to run it again and, God willing, I look forward to doing it again some time in the future but probably not for a few years.
Date of review: April 27, 2009

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Overall score		80%
Would you do it again?		No
Details:
Scenery		100%
PB potential		40%
Atmosphere		60%
Organisation		80%
Value		80%
Beginner-friendliness		60%

In short: Low key well organised race
In full: beautiful scenery which could be enjoyed for the first half of the race. The long steep hill at 14 heralded the start of a long slog home when I became a bit worried that I had become separated from the field either side of me. Made for a lonely run home! Not sure about the comment about there be a consensus on it being short. Perhaps the opportunity had been taken to cut corners because it sure seemed long enough for me!
Date of review: September 1, 2008

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Overall score		100%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		100%
PB potential		60%
Atmosphere		100%
Organisation		80%
Value		100%
Beginner-friendliness		100%

In short: Life-enhancing
In full: A big thanks to the organisers. We made a family weekend of it. Conditions were ideal, the scenery awesome and my sprint finish (to let the children know that their 44 year old dad really did run at Crystal Palace and Alexander Stadium once upon a time even if it was only in the Inland Revenue championships) won me my first ever spot prize - a top notch running jacket. And then my wife won the bingo at the caravan site!
Date of review: July 21, 2008

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